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Wi-fi justice, a Family court revolution and Fee-charging Friends...
Wi-fi justice
All criminal courts will be able to operate completely digitally by July 2016, according to Criminal Justice Minister Damian Green. The new “digital business model” was unveiled in April at Bromley Magistrates’ Court, the first to receive the wi-fi upgrade under new funding of £75m a year, in addition to £44m already budgeted for new IT programmes.
Family court revolution
April saw in the new combined family courts, 26-week time frames for children in care cases and compulsory mediation awareness. Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division, said it marked “the largest reform of the family justice system any of us will see in our professional lifetimes... truly a cultural revolution.”
Fee-charging Friends
Fee-charging McKenzie Friends should be recognised as a “legitimate feature of the evolving legal services market”, according to the Legal Services Consumer Panel. Its study identified the growing market following the LASPO changes, with some providing legal advice and seeking right of audience in an individual case. Despite some evidence about poor courtroom and commercial practices, the Panel concluded that the access to justice benefits outweighed the risks and called on the sector “to develop a credible system of self-regulation to earn greater trust from judges, the legal profession and the general public alike”.
Wi-fi justice
All criminal courts will be able to operate completely digitally by July 2016, according to Criminal Justice Minister Damian Green. The new “digital business model” was unveiled in April at Bromley Magistrates’ Court, the first to receive the wi-fi upgrade under new funding of £75m a year, in addition to £44m already budgeted for new IT programmes.
Family court revolution
April saw in the new combined family courts, 26-week time frames for children in care cases and compulsory mediation awareness. Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division, said it marked “the largest reform of the family justice system any of us will see in our professional lifetimes... truly a cultural revolution.”
Fee-charging Friends
Fee-charging McKenzie Friends should be recognised as a “legitimate feature of the evolving legal services market”, according to the Legal Services Consumer Panel. Its study identified the growing market following the LASPO changes, with some providing legal advice and seeking right of audience in an individual case. Despite some evidence about poor courtroom and commercial practices, the Panel concluded that the access to justice benefits outweighed the risks and called on the sector “to develop a credible system of self-regulation to earn greater trust from judges, the legal profession and the general public alike”.
Wi-fi justice, a Family court revolution and Fee-charging Friends...
Chair of the Bar sets out a busy calendar for the rest of the year
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Examined by Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
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Through small but meaningful efforts, we can restore the sense of collegiality that has been so sorely eroded, says Baldip Singh
Come in with your eyes open, but don’t let fear cloud the prospect. A view from practice by John Dove
Looking to develop a specialist practice? Mariya Peykova discusses the benefits of secondments and her placement at the Information Commissioner’s Office
Anon Academic explains why he’s leaving the world of English literature for the Bar – after all, the two are not as far apart as they may first seem...
Review by Stephen Cragg KC
